2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER oil

Power steering
When the engine is running, power steering
makes it easier for the driver to steer.
Power steering he lps the driver steer the vehi­
cle with little physical effort .
If the engine is not runn ing, the power steer­
ing system is also not wo rking. In this case,
you will find it extreme ly difficult to turn the
steering whee l.
If you t urn t he steering fully to the le ft or
right when the vehicle is stationary, you place
a very heavy load on t he power steering sys ­
tem . T urning the steering wheel fu lly to the
left or r ight will cause noise in the system . It
a lso reduces engine idle speed.
(D Note
Do not hold the steering turned fully to
the left or right for more than 10 seconds
when t he engine is running. There is a risk
of damage to the power steeri ng system .
@ Tips
-In the event of a power steering system
failure, or if the eng ine is not running
(while being towed), you wi ll st ill be able
to stee r the ve hicle . However, you will re­
quire more effort to do so .
- If the power steer ing system has a leak
or is defective, you should immed iately
contact a qualif ied wo rkshop.
- The powe r stee ring system requires a
spec ial hyd raulic f luid. The powe r stee r­
i ng fl uid reservo ir is lo cated in the en­
g ine compar tment . Th e cor re ct hydra ulic
f lui d leve l is important for p ro per opera ­
tion o f the power steering sys tem . The
power steer ing fl uid leve l is checked ac­
cord ing to the Aud i maintenance service
schedule.
Dry sump Lubrication
H igh lateral and long itud inal forces affect the
engine and the vehicle d uring sporty driving.
Ory sump lubr ication ensures that your eng ine
Int ellig ent technolog y 149
is supplied wi th oi l and properly lubricated
even under these conditions .
In a "no rma l" veh icle the o il pump sends the
o il from the o il p an t o the lubr ication points in
t h e engine. The oi l then ret urns to the o il pan .
In extreme situations , the oil p ump may draw
in a ir, which results in insufficient oi l pressure.
Wi th dr y sump lubri cat ion, the o il is not in the
oi l pan (it is "dry"), but in a separate oil tank.
While one p ump supplies t he e ngine with oil ,
a second pump suctions the oil out of the en­
gine and returns it to the oil tank. Because the
o il tank is tall and narrow, oil pressure is con­
stant even under extreme conditions .
In add ition, the oi l pan in vehicles with dry
sump l ubrication is noticeab ly shallower. This
allows the engine to be installed lower in the
vehicle , bring ing down the center of grav ity .
T his imp roves your ve hicle's handling .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv ­
en.
General information
With a ll-wheel d rive, powe r is distr ib uted to
al l four wheels. This happens autom atic ally
depen ding on your d riving s tyle and the ro ad
conditions a t the time . See also ¢
page 144.
The all-whee l dr ive concept is des igned for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion­
al ly powe rf ul and h as ex cellen t driving charac ­
teristics both under normal driving cond itions
and on snow and ice . Always read and follow
safety precaut ions ¢&. .
Winter tires
When dr iving in the win ter, yo ur vehicle wi th
a ll- wheel d rive h as an advantage, even w it h
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea ­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing : these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels . See also¢ page 203, Winter tires. .,..
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Driving and
environment
Break-in period
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the
break-in period should be 1,500 miles (2,500
km) . Do not use full acceleration for the first
600 m iles (1,000 km) and do not exceed the
maximum engine speed of 6,000 rpm You
must also not use full accelerat ion between
600 and 1,200 mi les (1,000 to 2,000 km).
Fr om 1,200 to 1,500 miles (2,000 to 2,500
km), you can gradua lly increase maximum en­
gine speed to 8,250 rpm for brief periods.
During the first hours of operation, there is
greater friction in the engine and the trans­
mission than later when all the moving parts
have broken in.
The way you drive during the first 1,500 miles
(2,500 km) affects engine quality. If you drive
at moderate eng ine speeds thereafter, partic ­
ularly when the engine is cold, you reduce en­
gine wear and increase the potential mileage
of the engine.
Do not drive at RPMs that are too
low. Shift
down when the engine is no longer running
"smoothly". Extreme ly high RPMs are gov­
erned automatically.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaus t
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
veh icles.
Driving and environment 153
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed .
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing
th rough water.
(D Tips
- Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that ra ise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avo id driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in on environmentally sound manner .
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline ~ page 167,
Fuel supply .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
~. ~
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154 Driving and en vironm ent
• Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 180, Adding engine oil • Never try to push -or tow-start your veh icle.
The cata lytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critically
important for the life of the cata lytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the veh icle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel sp ill or other material which can
cause a fi re.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verte r o r heat shie lds . D uring d riving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
([) Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 180 .
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire. Unburned f uel could a lso get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn
off the ignition while the ve­
hicle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­ sion Control System: -
Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendat ions in yo ur Warranty
&
Maintenance book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating proper ly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or fil ling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer per iod of t ime, contact an
Audi or othe r specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage.
Pay attention to additional informat ion con­
cerning the battery. Refer to<=>
page 184.
Operation and
maintenance
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three facto rs:
-your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
By having your veh icle regu larly se rviced by an
authorized Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economica lly. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to hold its va lue, it also affects
fu el
cons umpt ion.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
l oad and speed.

It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oi l consumption.
This also applies to fuel consumption and en­
g ine output.
(y Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte ­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any dev ice, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
(D Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published
by the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may
not correspond to your actua l consump­
tion on the road, which will vary depend­
ing upon vehicle load and speed, road and
weather conditions, trip length, etc.
Trailer towing
General information
Your Audi RB Spyder is not designed to tow a
trailer.
Towing a trai ler with your Audi RB Spyder is
not recommended and can cause damage to
the car . Damaged caused by towing a trailer is
not covered by your Aud i Warranty .
Driving and environment 155
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156 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Regular and correct care will contribute to
maintaining the beauty and value of your
Audi. Furthermore, good care may be a condi ­
tion for substant iat ing a warranty claim
should corrosion damage or pa int defects oc­
cur.
Your authorized Audi R8 dealer has a variety
of
dedicated vehicle-care products. Please
make sure you apply them correctly .
.8, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caution labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammable or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourse lf on sharp-edged metal parts.
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
braking efficiency¢
page 146, General
information .
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select only environmentally friend ly clean­
ing products . Leftover cleaning products
should not disposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing your vehicle
T he longer i nsect remains, bird dropp ings,
tree res in , road and indust rial dust, tar, soot
part icles, road salt, and other aggressive de­
posits remain on the vehicle surface, the more
lasting their destructive effect will be . High
temperatures, for example from intense sun­
li ght, intens ify the corrosive effect.
After the end of winter road salting, the un­
derside of the vehicle should be thoroughly
washed .
Automatic car washes
Before going through an automatic car wash,
yo u should take the usual precautions (closing
the windows). If your vehicle has special ac­ cessories -e.g . spoilers, radio antenna -it is
best to speak to the operator of the car wash
c:> (D .
Only use car washes where the vehicle re­
mains stationary and the cleaning equipment
moves aro und the vehicle while washing and
drying . It is not possib le to use car washes
where the vehicle is moved forward on a con­
veyer
c:> ,& .
It is preferab le to wash your vehicle in a
brush less carwash .
Washing with a power washer
When washing yo ur vehicle with a power
washer, be sure to follow the operating in­
structions for the power washer . This applies
particularly to the
pressure and the spraying
distance.
Maintain sufficient distance from
soft materials such as rubber hoses, sound
deaden ing mater ial, and the parking aid sen ­
sors* that are located in the front or rear
bumper .
Do not use washers with
a rotating jet or a
nozzle spraying
a high pressure jet of water in
any case. ..,.

Hand washing
When washing your veh icle by hand, fi rst soft ­
en the dirt with copious amounts of water and rinse it
off as b est you can.
Then clean the veh icle using a soft
s ponge , an
auto gl ove or a low -press ure wa sh bru sh .
Work from the top down -sta rting with the
roof . Use a
s h ampoo only for very stubborn
dirt.
Rinse the sponge or auto glove thorough ly at
fr equent intervals.
C lea n the wheels, doo r sill s and simi lar a reas
last . Use a separate sponge fo r th is.
_&. WARNING
- Car washes with conveyors can damage
the vehicle tires , which could cause the
ti re to lose pressure sudden ly while driv­
ing and put you at risk for an accident.
Do not use car washes with conveyors.
- Switch
off the ignit ion when you wash
yo ur vehicle to avo id an accident.
- Protect yo ur hands and arms from sharp
metal edges when you clean the under­
body, the ins ide of the whee l wells or the
wheel covers to avoid cutting yourself .
- When washing your vehicle in the winter:
Moist ure and ice in the brake system can
affect the brakes.
- Never wash tires with a jet that sprays
water in a direct stream . T hi s could cause
invisible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative ­
ly long distance and for a short time.
Damaged and wea kened tires can fail
and cause a ccidents and pe rsonal inj ury.
0 Note
- Never dr ive your veh icle through any au ­
tomatic car wash that fails to p rov ide e i­
the r suff icient clearance for your veh icle
or sufficient tra ck wid th fo r your tires .
Ris k of expensive damage to the veh icle's
u nderbody, tires, and rims!
- As descr ibed in you r Warra nty
& M ainte­
nance booklet , damage or malf unct ion
Cleaning and protec tion 157
due to m isuse o f the vehicle or fai lure to
operate the vehicle in acco rdance with
the inst ruct ions of th is Owner's Manua l
wi ll not be covered under warranty.
- Fold the exte rior mirrors flat -there is a
r isk of damag ing the exterior m irrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors must not
be folded in or out by hand . Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not wash the vehicle in d irect sun­
light . You may damage the paint.
- Do not use sponges designed to remove
insects, rough k itchen sponges , or s imi­
lar products . You risk damag ing the
pai nt s urface.
- Do not wash the vehicle using cleani ng
products that contain alcohol when the
e ng ine is ho t. This increases the risk of
damage to plast ic components, such as
c rack ing .
- You should remove deb ris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for example when re fuel ­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lights with a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth o r sponge . It is best to use
soapy water.
- Never clean t ires using a nozz le that
sprays water in a direct stream. Damage
can occur even with a relatively long
spraying distance and for a very short
t ime.
- To avoid damaging your veh icle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft
materials like rubbe r hoses, plast ic parts
and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head a t the same point for
a long time. This also app lies to cleani ng
head lights and pa inted b umpers . Re ­
member : the closer the nozz le is to the
surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the materia l.
@ For the sake of the environment
Wash yo ur vehicle on ly at spec ia lly de­
signed facilities . They can prevent any dirty
water contaminated by oil from entering
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158 Cleaning and protection
the waste water. In certain areas washing
a car outside of such facilities is not per­
mitted.
Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
App lies to vehicles: with matte finish paint
Vehicles with ma tte finish poin t require spe­
cial core due to the characteris tic s of the
point.
Automatic car washes
You must take the necessary precautions such
as closing the windows before using an auto­
matic car wash. See the car wash attendant if
there is special equipment on your vehicle
such as a spoiler or remote control antenna
c:::> CD.
Only use car washes where the vehicle re­ mains stationary and the washing equipment
moves around the vehicle when washing and
drying .
It is not possible to use car washes
that move the vehicle through the car wash
using a chain
c:::> &,.
Only use car washes that use cloth cleaning
equipment, not brushes .
Washing with pressure washers
When washing your vehicles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instruc­
tions provided with the pressure washer . This
is especially important in regard to the
pres­
sure
and spraying distance. Be sure to keep
enough distance from soft materials such as rubber hoses or insulating material as well as
from the parking system sensors*, which are
located in the front or rear bumper.
Never use
rotary nozzles or high pressure
nozzles.
Washing by hand
T o avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects , grease spots and finger­
prints are best removed with a
special cleaner
for matte finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to­
ward the bottom using a
neutral shampoo
and a soft microfiber cloth. Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thoroughly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
sponge on these areas.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it
air dry . If there are any water spots, they can
be removed using a
leather cloth.
Clean again with the special cleaner for matte
finish paint
if necessary .
Removing stubborn dirt
Bird droppings or tree sap
are best removed
with plenty of water and a microfiber cloth.
You should rinse off
gasoline residue immedi­
ately with plenty of water .
A WARNING
--Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- To reduce the risk of cutting yourself,
protect your hands and arms from metal
parts with sharp edges when cleaning
the underbody, the inside of the wheel
housings or the wheel covers.
- If washing your vehicle during the win­
ter, moisture and ice in the brake system
can affect the vehicle's braking ability.
0 Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint using polishing mate­
rials or hard wax. These products could
cause damage to the appearance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint. The paint could be

damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct sunlight .
- To p revent damage to the paint s urface,
do no t use insect removal sponges,
rough k itchen sponges or similar items.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis , for example when refue l­
i ng your vehicle. Only clean the head­
li ghts using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one. Cleaning w ith soapy water is
r ecomme nded.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated wi th
oil from entering the sewer system . In
some areas, washing vehicles outs ide of
these facilit ies is prohib ited.
(j) Tips
For mo re info rmation on special cleaning
products designed for matte fin ish pa int,
s ee yo ur Audi RB deale r.
Convertible top care
The convertible top requires special care .
Keeping your top look ing grea t and making
certain that it lasts a long t ime depends to a
g reat extent on proper use and care . Remove
b ir d droppings as soon as possib le, since the
cor rosive chem icals in them w ill cause the
r u bber impregna tion in your top to swell an d
possibly allow the fabric to lea k.
W ith
normal soiling , all yo u need to do is
clear the top wit h a soft brush and clear wa­
ter. Alw ays br ush in the direction of the fabric
from front to rea r.
If the top is
very dirty and has spotted areas
clean i t with a b rush us ing a convert ible top
cleane r. A lways br ush in the direction o f the
fabric from front to rear . Rinse w ith plenty of
clear water , and a llow the top to air-dry.
Cleaning and protec tion 159
Chamois are not sui table for drying the top.
Neve r use gaso line, spot remover, ben zene,
paint t hinner or solvents to remove spots. We
re commend that yo u on ly use cle ane rs spe­
c ia lly formulated for use on convertib le tops,
and that you fo llow the product directions
ca refully. A uthorized Audi dea ls can prov ide
detailed information.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information on
c:::, page 156 .
(D Note
Neve r use a high-press ure power washer to
clean the convertib le top .
Wind deflector
Clean the wind deflecto r with water or, if it is
heavily soiled, a chemically neut ral cleaning
solution .
&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
the inform ation on
¢ page 156.
Waxing and polishing
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle pain t
t o a la rge exten t agains t the env ironmental
factors lis ted under ¢
page 156, Washing
your v ehicl e
and even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect yo ur
paint as soon as one wee k after you r vehicle
has been delivered .
Even if you r egularly use a waxing process in
a ut omat ic car washes, we recommend tha t
you manually apply a coat of wax to g ive the
paint extra protection, part icu la rly if wate r no
longer beads on the clean paint.
P ro tect plast ic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the veh icle body.
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